A home inspection is a valuable tool, but not only for buyers. There are many important factors for a seller to consider as well. By performing a pre-sale home inspection, sellers can correct items that could potentially cost them a sale.

An added bonus of a listing inspection is that many of the items that the inspector will point out as being fundamental to the longevity of the home such as trimming trees and hedges, cleaning gutters, or applying fresh paint are details that could visually enhance the home’s marketability and curb appeal. Correcting minor defects such as dirty heating and cooling system filters, jammed windows, a missing chimney hood or spark arrester, or other small maintenance issues gives prospective purchasers a positive feeling that your home is well-maintained. Additionally, projects like installing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors make your house safer for the next owner and safer for you as long as you continue living in it.

Whether you choose a structural pests & dry rot inspection alone or include the whole house inspection, a home inspection by a properly trained professional will inform you of issues that could lower your home’s value, or even cost you a sale after time has already been invested and perhaps money has already been spent.

Based on the information contained in the home inspection reports, a seller may know they lack sufficient capital to complete all necessary repairs so they can choose to position their home at a lower point in the market and tell potential purchasers up-front that the home will be sold as-is, or the seller will have ample time to complete the repairs they choose before the home is put on the market, allowing them to ask the highest price with the confidence of knowing the sale won’t be held up at the last minute by unexpected repairs. Additionally, contractors may charge more money for repairs rushed through in order to meet closing deadlines and the added stress for everybody involved can be a real burden.

Oregon law requires that sellers disclose any known property defects to prospective buyers.

Some people may argue against getting a house inspected before putting it on the market; their argument is often that you can’t tell buyers about problems if you don’t know that the problems exist. They may think that handing buyers a long list of known issues as they enter your house will turn many of them off. They may say that buyers suspect that you’ll hire a go-easy inspector to falsely report that your house is perfect and ask why you would spend several hundred dollars on an inspection report that buyers won’t believe anyway.

These lines of reason are based on an ostrich-like logic because the issues are there whether a seller knows about them or not; whether a seller chooses to deal with it when time is on your side or wait until the last minute and possibly lose a sale is up to each individual.

One of the main reasons many of today’s homes fail to close or have their selling price renegotiated downward after a buyer has made an offer is because of shortcomings found at the time a buyer has a home inspection. The seller will most likely pay for unexpected repairs by doing the repairs personally, by hiring a contractor to do the work, or by reducing the asking price to reflect the cost of the repairs.

Many buyers often wish to re-negotiate their offer after the inspection because they were not aware of the issues brought out by their home inspector when they made their offer or they may even choose to terminate the contract which results in lost time and energy on the part of the seller, the buyer, their Realtors®, lenders, and other real estate professionals involved. This can be especially frustrating to a seller who resides out of town, has relocated with a new job or who may be delayed with their purchase of another home. Buyers may still choose to hire their own home inspector, which isn’t a bad idea, but sellers will ultimately rest easier knowing there won’t be any surprises.

Helps you and your Realtor® determine a realistic asking price for your home

Keeps you in control of the transaction – you can negotiate with confidence

Provides the perspective of a trained, unbiased professional third party

Helps reduce risk through full disclosure

Increases confidence of prospective buyers

Remedies can be made cost effectively by allowing time to obtain competitive bids

Reduces stress of buyer’s home inspection

Helps eliminate potential closing delays

Makes your house stand out positively from others on the market

Whether you choose a pest & dry rot inspection or whole house inspection, a listing inspection by Buckley’s Inspection Services, Inc. can help take your property from “listed” to “sold” with minimal fuss.